8 Easy School Lunches (Healthy & Kid-Friendly) that are perfect for picky-eaters. Best of all, tons of ideas for nut-free, dairy-free and gluten free options. Everything can be served chilled or at room temperature. No heating or microwave needed.
Pin for later and follow my Meal Prep / Healthy Lunchbox Board for more lunch ideas!
Some affiliate links included and be sure to check back in a few weeks for a couple of stainless steel bento lunchbox giveaways sponsored by Planetbox and Lunchbot.
It’s that time of year again – back to school season is upon us! Around here, classes begin in September – the day after Labor Day.
This year, my oldest is heading into the first grade, and he couldn’t be more excited. We’re ready to get back to our regular school routine again but I’ll admit that packing lunches can be a challenge.
Most parents struggle with trying to balance nutritious choices with what your child will actually eat. Staying organized by planning ahead and having a variety of fresh, fun and healthy ideas helps make life easier with school lunches.
It’s the best feeling to open that lunchbox at the end of the day and see that your kids loved everything that you packed.
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SOME HELPFUL TIPS WHEN PACKING SCHOOL LUNCHES
PLAN AHEAD
Make lunches ahead of time at night and portion off any dried snacks that keep well on Sundays for the rest of the week.
MIX IT UP
Include a variety so your child doesn’t get bored. Switch things up and pair different snacks, fruits, carbs and protein. Leftovers like muffins, pasta salad or chilled sesame noodles are some great choices.
GRANOLA BARS
- No Bake Pumpkin Cashew Butter Granola Bars
- No Bake 5 Ingredient Granola Bars + Video!
- {No-Bake} Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips Granola Bars
- Healthy Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars with Almond & Cranberry
- Chewy No-Bake Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars
ENERGY BITES
KEEP THINGS FUN WITH SOME DIY “LUNCHABLES”
Allow your child to put together their own DIY pizzas or wraps with dips and sauces to make things interesting.
Yogurt, hummus, guacamole and salsa are great for adding flavor to vegetables and fruit.
KEEP FOOD SEPARATE WITH A LUNCH BOX WITH DIVIDED COMPARTMENTS
Having a lunchbox with separate compartments and / or liners will help you remember to include all the components of a balanced meal.
Keeping your grains, protein, fruit and veggies separated also makes it fun for the kids when they open up their lunchboxes. It’s also perfect for picky eaters that don’t like various food to touch.
Adjust portion sizes based on your child’s appetite or age
FOOD SAFETY
Many items will keep at room temperature but be aware of which will require an ice pack to stay cool. Also make sure that you are aware of any peanut or other food restrictions that the school might have in place. I’ve included many nut-free lunches and included notes for substitutions.
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8 Easy School Lunches
I’ve included these easy and kid-friendly recipes, tips and tricks below to make preparing school lunches a breeze. The lunchboxes, silicone muffin liners and condiment cups can all be purchased from Amazon.
Feel free to mix and match or swap out any of the fruits and snacks to suit your tastes.
1. DIY Tortillas (Gluten free, Nut free, substitutions provided for dairy free)
- corn tortilla chips
- shredded cheese (use vegan cheese or leave out for dairy-free version)
- turkey
- cheese, cut into circles (I used cheddar – use vegan cheese or leave out for dairy-free version)
- fresh fruit – pictured above: peach slices, watermelon chunks, blueberries and blackberries
2. Turkey and Cheese Roll-ups
- turkey slices, swiss and cheddar cheese slices)
- raw almonds (leave out for nut free version)
- raw veggies: celery, grape tomatoes, cauliflower and zucchini
- multigrain crackers with sunbutter
- apple slices
- grapes
3. DIY Lunchables (Nut free, dairy free, substitutions provided for gluten free)
- pita or tortilla triangles (use wholewheat or gluten free tortillas as needed)
- plantain chips
- zucchini or cucumber
- turkey
- apple Slices
- wholegrain mini crackers (use gluten free crackers or leave out as needed)
- hummus
- fresh berries – (Pictured above: strawberries, blueberries and blackberries)
- pumpkin seeds and cranberries
4. Healthier Egg “Salad” Sandwich – (Nut free, substitutions provided for gluten free)
- Healthier egg “salad” – scrambled eggs mixed with Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper with multigrain bread (use gluten free as needed) – cut into bite-sized portions
- cooked corn on the cob
- raw vegetables – sugar snap peas, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, canned chickpeas
- homemade Greek yogurt ranch dip
- fruit – cubed watermelon
5. Healthier Egg “Salad” Sandwich (Nut free, substitutions provided for dairy free and gluten free)
- Healthier egg “salad” or chicken salad – scrambled eggs mixed with Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper with multigrain bread (use gluten free as needed) and lettuce – cut into bite-sized portions
- cooked corn on the cob
- pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries
- apple slices
- plain Greek yogurt (leave out or swap for hummus for dairy free)
- fresh berries – strawberries, blackberries and blueberries
6. DIY Pizza (Nut free, substitutions provided for dairy free and gluten free)
- tortillas – swap for gluten free as needed
- turkey pepperoni slices
- pizza sauce or salsa
- shredded cheese, grape tomatoes
- raw vegetables – grape tomatoes, chopped cucumber or zucchini, shredded carrots
- fresh fruit: cubed watermelon, grapes
7. Smashed Chickpea Sandwich (Dairy Free, Nut-free and substitutions for gluten free)
- Smashed Chickpea Sandwich – with multigrain bread (use gluten free as needed) – cut into bite-sized portions – fill with smashed chickpeas, smashed avocado, salt & pepper, kale (or lettuce)
- fresh fruit – peach slices, blackberries, chopped watermelon
- raw vegetables – zucchini, cucumber and / or celery
- banana
- hummus with sugar or snap peas and multigrain crackers (leave out or use gluten free as needed)
8. Taco Salad (Gluten free)
- freeze-dried strawberries and blueberries
- plantain chips
- Cranberry Energy Bites
- Taco Salad – lettuce, black beans, sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese (can leave cheese out for dairy free version)
- unsweetened apple sauce
- grapes
8 Easy School Lunches (Healthy & Kid-Friendly) that are perfect for picky-eaters. Best of all, tons of ideas for nut-free, dairy-free and gluten free options. Everything can be served chilled or at room temperature - no heating or microwave needed.
Save Recipe5 based on 2 review(s)
Ingredients
Mains:
Sandwiches: Egg, tuna or chicken salad, turkey
Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwiches
DIY Pizza: Tortilla chips, cheese, grape tomatoes
Turkey and cheese rollups
Ham or turkey, hummus pitas
Taco Salad: black beans, cheese, salsa
Veggies:
Cucumber, zucchini with hummus or homemade ranch Greek yogurt dip
Broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas with hummus or dip
Grape or cherry tomatoes with hummus or dip
Carrots with hummus or dip
Roasted chickpeas
Fruits:
Bananas
Apple
Berries
Peach
Grapes
Freeze-dried fruit
Applesauce
Snacks:
Crackers
Cheese
Yogurt
Energy bites
Pumpkin Seeds or other seeds
Raw Nuts (check school policy or if there are any allergies)
Dried cranberries or other fruit
Seed or Nut butter (check school policy or if there are any allergies)
Instructions
- Include a variety of ingredients from each category and divide into lunchboxes.
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